You love the muesli from the organic supermarket. You prefer whole-grain bread to white bread. And while you're shopping, you quickly grab that jar of sugo; just in case you're short on time to cook. Which, if you're honest, is always the case. You also use honey for sweetening, because after all it is a natural product.
Sugar comes in many different forms and names, and most likely is in most of the products you put in your cart last time - whether they were in the healthy aisle or not.
In this blog post, we want to clear up everything about sugar, including how to recognize it in the supermarket.
What exactly is sugar?
When you think of sugar, the first thing that probably comes to mind is "table sugar" for your coffee, tea or cake.
However, there are actually many different types of sugar, all of which have different effects on our bodies.
The scientific name for household sugar is sucrose. Sucrose is a disaccharide. Disaccharide means that it consists of two simple sugars: glucose and fructose.
When you eat sucrose, the glucose goes directly into your bloodstream and is used for energy. You see this in the Hello Inside app, your blood sugar goes up. When the energy is not needed, it is stored in the muscles or as fat.
Before fructose can be used as energy, it must pass through the liver. In the liver, it is then converted into glucose and subsequently into fat. In addition, fructose increases blood glucose levels more slowly (less strongly) than glucose.
Does this mean you should stop eating fruit?
In a word, no.
First, there is much less fructose in fresh fruit than in many processed foods and beverages. While a can of lemonade may contain around 40 grams or more of fructose, an apple has only about 6 g of fructose per 100 g of apple.
Another important factor is the interaction of the various compounds in food. The fructose in your lemonade, for example, is free sugar and is therefore absorbed very quickly into your blood. However, when you eat an apple, your body has to break down the apple structure to get to the sugar. The fiber in an apple slows down digestion, so the fructose is released much more slowly.
So our tip is to pay special attention to your sugar sources - where your sugar comes from.
What are sources of sugar?
Where the sugar you eat comes from is critical to how it affects your health. As we mentioned earlier, some sugars occur naturally, such as in fruits or even dairy products. Some sugars are removed from their original sources and added to foods. This is how they increase sweetness, such as the sugar in your lemonade.
Naturally occurring sugar
Naturally occurring sugars are found in fruits, vegetables, grains, dairy products, and in small amounts in nuts. Eating foods that naturally contain sugar is okay in terms of your blood sugar because they also contain other nutrients. Plant foods, for example, are high in fiber, minerals and antioxidants, while dairy products contain calcium and protein.
These foods are usually digested slowly by your body, providing a steady supply of energy. They are an important part of a healthy lifestyle. Studies show that eating plenty of vegetables, whole grains and fruits can reduce the risk of chronic diseases (such as some cancers, diabetes and heart disease).
Free sugar
Free sugar or added sugar, on the other hand, is the refined sugar that is added to foods. You should avoid or at least reduce this type of sugar as much as possible.
Sugar is not only added to foods that are obviously sweet, such as sodas, ice cream or candy. It is also used to preserve food. So take a look at the labels of your favorite sauces or frozen pizza. You'll be surprised where you find sugar.
When buying processed foods, we always recommend checking the ingredient list carefully to detect hidden sugar. Unfortunately, this is not always easy, as sugar can be listed under more than 50 different names.
The most effective and easiest way to reduce your sugar intake is to eat mostly whole and unprocessed foods.
The products that get the most added sugar are soft drinks, fruit drinks, flavored yogurts, cereals, cookies, cakes, pastries, candy, and actually almost all processed foods.
Why is sugar bad for your health?
As described above: Not all sugar is inherently bad for you. Some sugar is even necessary to provide energy. The problem is added sugars. They usually consist of a simple chemical structure of one (monosaccharide) or two (disaccharide) sugars and therefore do not contain other nutrients.
The simple chemical structure of sugar makes it an "empty" calorie. This means that while it provides a quick energy boost and spikes blood sugar levels, it has no nutritional value whatsoever.
The energy boost doesn't last long either. As soon as blood sugar levels drop again, you feel sleepy, unfocused and easily distracted. Research shows that there is a strong link between refined sugar consumption and excessive daytime fatigue.
Frequent consumption of added sugar also increases your hunger and causes you to eat more than you should.
Excessive consumption of added sugars increases the risk of:
- Overweight, obesity and fatty liver
- Type 2 diabetes and other metabolic diseases
- different types of cancer
- Caries
In the short term, you may also gain weight, feel unfocused and tired. High sugar consumption (6 + teaspoons a day) also affects glucose metabolism and leads to increased blood sugar levels. This then also affects your sleep and weight.
In the long run, excessive consumption of added sugar can even be addictive.
Added sugar also raises blood pressure and leads to an increased risk of chronic inflammation - both of which are causes of heart disease.
A 15-year study showed that people who consume 17-21% of their total caloric intake from added sugars have a 38% higher risk of dying from heart disease than people who consume 8% of their calories from added sugars.
Another scary fact is that studies have shown that high sugar consumption over a long period of time can impair the brain's ability to absorb and remember new information.
Sugar additive and all its different names
Sugar is very difficult to avoid. It can even be found in your healthy foods. Watch out for it the next time you eat out or go to the supermarket.
Read the food labels of your favorite products and you'll find that in soups, salad dressings, cured meats, whole grain breads, dark chocolate and in the "healthy" kombuchas, sugar has been added to enhance the taste.
The higher up an ingredient is listed in the ingredient list, the more of it is in the product. The ingredients that are used in the largest quantities are listed first.
In Europe, it can be difficult to determine the amount of added sugar on nutrition labeling. This is because manufacturers are only required to list the total amount of sugar, "of which sugar," under the carbohydrate index (grams of sugar per 100 grams of product). This mixes naturally occurring and added sugars and makes it difficult to identify added sugars.
Can you believe the claims on the products that they are sugar free?
According to the EU regulation, the claim "sugar-free" may only be used if:
- a product contains no more than 0.5 grams of sugar per 100 grams/100 ml.
- no monosaccharides or disaccharides have been added.
- no other food was used for sweetening.
If the product contains naturally occurring sugars, the product will also be labeled "Contains Naturally Occurring Sugars."
Food additives, sugar substitutes, artificial sweeteners
You may have noticed that sugar in your foods and beverages isn't always easy to spot. To make matters even more complicated, added sugars and artificial sweeteners may be labeled with "E numbers."
Stevia, for example, has the E number 960a.
There are also sugar substitutes that contain no sugar and have few or no calories. Foods labeled "sugar-free," "low carbohydrate" or "dietary" usually contain them. These substances are made in laboratories and contain no beneficial nutrients. Some experts believe that they can be dangerous and may also affect blood sugar levels.
But is sugar really always an enemy? Is there a way to consume sugar in a healthy and responsible way?
How much sugar can we eat?
Nutrition experts and health organizations recommend limiting sugar consumption to less than 10% of the daily recommended energy intake. Assuming an average energy requirement of 2000 kcal, 10% of the daily intake corresponds to about 50 g of sugar, which is equivalent to about 4 tablespoons. A 330 ml can of Coca Cola Original contains about 35 grams of added sugar (in something like 3 tablespoons).
However, most Germans consume far more than that, especially in the form of soft drinks and fruit juices. Studies suggest that the high sugar consumption is due to the hidden addition of sugar in foods, as we have already mentioned.
How our sugar consumption affects our society and economy
Sugar consumption has increased sharply over the last 50 years. Evidence shows that this has serious consequences for health. Many people consume up to 500 kcal per day from sugar. The average amount of sugar consumed by Germans is equivalent to 28.5 sugar cubes per day. If these 28.5 sugar cubes are not burned properly, they turn into around 17.8 kg of excess body fat. High sugar consumption can therefore lead to eating more calories than the body needs. The result: overweight or even obesity. In Germany, 67% of men and 53% of women are overweight. 2% of men and 24% of women are obese, i.e. severely overweight.
Obesity is the epidemic of the 21st century
Obesity is a serious condition with social and psychological aspects that affects people of all ages, socioeconomic backgrounds, and all over the world. Although more men are overweight, more women are obese. Whether they are overweight or obese, both are associated with a high risk of other diet-related diseases.
If we compare the negative impact of sugar on society with the costs and damage of diseases associated with a high-sugar diet, they are comparable to the deaths caused by driving under the influence of alcohol and smoking. In Germany, the direct costs of diseases attributable to high and frequent sugar consumption are estimated at over 8.5 billion euros in 2013.
Why do we consume so much sugar? How is the food industry involved?
Food policy is a key driver of the global increase in sugar consumption. You've probably noticed how companies target children when marketing fast food and soft drinks.
The food industry has succeeded in hiding added sugar on our plates in a variety of ways. More than 70% of packaged foods sold in supermarkets contain added sugar. This in turn means that not only the sweet products, but also the savory products such as bread, pasta and sauces may contain sugar. As we have already mentioned, there are many different names. More than 50 names, to be exact.
What can you do to avoid consuming too much sugar and consciously say no?
We know that this is not easy. Especially because sugar activates the reward system in our brain. The same regions and receptors are also activated by addictive substances. This also explains why sugar can be addictive.
The key to avoiding this addiction is to become aware of it and make smart choices. One of the most important changes you can make is to pay attention to the products you buy and always check the ingredients.
Our goal at Hello Inside is to make your lifestyle choices easier. With our app, you can see how foods affect your blood sugar levels. We are sure that there are foods that surprisingly spike your blood sugar.
We at Hello Inside have developed the 2 week program "Hello Sugar" to educate you about sugar and your blood sugar levels. The program shows you the different names of sugar, explains how to read food labels, and what sugar does to your body and health in everyday life. There are also many tips and tricks that you can easily use to manage your sugar consumption.
We're not saying you have to give up sugar completely, because that seems like an unattainable goal. But we want you to be aware of it, so you can make better life and nutrition choices for yourself.
The main issues addressed by the Hello Sugar Program are:
- Lack of energy and concentration,
- Craving
- Weight Management.
Our Tip:
As a little taste of our program, we're already giving you 3 tips to help you reduce your daily sugar intake:
- Read the labels on the products you put in your shopping basket and pay attention to what you eat. The more you cook yourself, the better your overview of what goes into your meals.
- The 80:20 rule when choosing foods and drinks is a great way to reduce your sugar consumption without feeling like you're missing out. → By this we mean that you should eat 80% "healthy" and the remaining 20% is for consciously enjoying treats.
- Understand what your body really needs and make smart nutrition and lifestyle choices. That's where Hello Inside comes in, because the app and the connected GCM Sensor give you insights into your personal response to food, especially through the Hello Sugar Program.
We think it's clear that sugar is a complex and difficult topic.
Even though sugar has a crucial impact on our health and society, sugar is not the enemy par excellence. Being aware of the impact sugar has on your body and making smart lifestyle and nutritional choices is a big step toward better wellness. Get to know your body like no one else and find your sweet spot with Hello Inside's Hello Sugar program.
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